The announcement of Security Officer of the Year is an exciting moment. We’re grateful to have so many incredible people doing extraordinary things across the county. For the Sunstates Security Officer of the Year, we had 23 nominations with stories of leadership, innovation and bravery. They are all amazing, hard-working team members; however, only one can receive the honor of being the 2022 Security Officer of the Year for their actions last year. The winner of the Sunstates Security Officer of the Year 2022 is Rahman Grimes of the Savannah region.
Officer of the Year 2023
Name: Mark Mountain
Region: Philadelphia
Nominated By: Operations Manager William Baker
Mark Mountain joined the Sunstates team in February of 2022.
Near the end of October 2022, the public space where Mark works was audited by a well-known auditor who shares his content online. The auditor is recognized for his videos on YouTube and refers to himself as a “Constitutional activist who conducts 1st Amendment Audits and public employee accountability checks.”
During the audit, Mark performed precisely as specified in our training modules and handled the visitor in a very professional manner while de-escalating those around him and others in the building. He knew exactly how to handle the situation with poise and professionalism. He not only got praise from the auditor during the video but also received admiration from the viewers in the over 5,000 comments left. As of the beginning of March 2023, the video has over 412,000 views.
“Mark the security guard just showed the world how to do his job the right way…great smile and friendly demeanor. Good job Mark!”
-Viewer
“Let’s all give Mark a HUGE round of applause. Good man doing a great job!” -Viewer
“Mark I hope you see this. The world needs more people like you!” -Viewer
“Mark when you see this, just know we are proud of you sir, and you deserve a raise and promotion! That is the type of person the public needs.” -Viewer
“Let’s get some appreciation for Mark, that guy is the exact guy you want working as security.” -Viewer
“Mark is so amazing. He was so professional and respectful. Others can learn a lot from Mark.”-Viewer
Second Place
Name: Bobbi Gilleland
Region: Raleigh
Nominated By: Operations Manager Steven Woods
I nominate Officer Bobbi Gilleland for the Officer of the Year Award. Sunstates Security’s Mission states to provide superior security services while always putting the client first, maintaining clear continuous communication, and remaining true to our guiding principles: Honesty-Integrity-Trust. This is what Bobbi does each day, and with a smile.
An example of Officer Gilleland’s dedication would be when on August 11, 2022, she received six calls from an individual stating that if we didn’t send out a Sunstates Security protected company employee, he would shoot everybody in the building. Throughout the situation, Bobbi remained calm, showed a sense of urgency in responding, and had excellent communication. As a result, Bobbi and the Sunstates Security team were able to help the local PD locate and arrest the individual. The police department and company management commended Bobbi for her assistance and professionalism. Officer Gilleland is what every officer at Sunstates Security should try and achieve, and the pride she has for working for Sunstates Security is genuinely remarkable.
Additionally, my nominee is hardworking, extremely organized, and focused on continuously learning and developing best practices to manage routine activities efficiently and effectively.
Third Place
Name: Mitch Rosenthal
Region: Fort Lauderdale
Nominated By: Regional Manager Michael Necolettos
On Friday, October 28th, Officer Rosenthal was patrolling the client’s campus. He noticed that one of the workers was standing on the sidewalk near a busy highway, and it looked like she was in a physical altercation with a client’s team member. Mitch immediately rushed over and was able to take control of the agitated member and pull her out of the street. Mitch assisted in taking her back inside the main building; while he was doing this, she was fighting him the entire time. Once the staff calmed her down, it was discovered that she wanted to commit suicide by jumping in front of a car. Mitch and the team contacted a family member who came to the site to pick up the distressed member.
The outcome could have been fatal if Mitch was not proactive and diligent in his patrol duties. The staff member was unable to control the suicidal member, and Mitch intervened just in time to get them out of the street and out of harm’s way.
The client was more than pleased that Sunstates Security, specifically Mitch, was on duty that day, and this had a positive outcome.
A big thank you to Officer Rosenthal for going above and beyond his routine patrol duties.
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